Emery boys win two drop one last week

Brendon Jorgensen puts up a shot against Manti.

By GARY ARRINGTONSports writer

The Emery High boy's basketball team finished 2011 with a win and now they have started 2012 with two victories in three games including a hard fought overtime victory over the Carbon Dinos. Emery defeated Carbon on Saturday night in the Spartan Center before a big basketball crowd by the score of 59-58.

Last week also saw the Spartans start the New Year off right with a road win at Union High by the score of 63-54. Emery also began play in Region 15 as they traveled to Monroe to face the number one ranked team in 2-A basketball, the South Sevier Rams. The defending champions defeated Emery 76-55.

The Carbon-Emery game started off with Emery shooting free throw shots due to a pregame technical the Dinos got during warm-ups. Emery promptly missed both shots. After starting with missed free throws and then a couple of turnovers, Emery battled the Dinos throughout the first quarter only to see Carbon lead 12-9 after the period.

Emery then responded with a technical of their own and Carbon started the second quarter off with a pair of free throws, which they made. After Carbon started the period on a 4-2 run, Emery finished the period on 19-5 run to lead at the half 30-21. Senior Dallon Cologie scored 13 points for the Spartans in the period to spark the effort. Emery played well in the period as most things went their way.

In period three, Emery and Carbon battled to a 5-5 tie with the period half over. Carbon player Derek Young re-entered the game after having sat with three personal fouls at the 4:35 mark. Young scored nine straight points as the Dinos scored the final 15 points of the period and the Dinos led 39-35 going into quarter four.

In the final period Cologie hit a 3-pointer to start the quarter, Curtis Mason made a free throw and Logan Tuttle made a basket and Emery jumped back in front 41-40. Carbon scored the next four points as the two teams jostled the rest of the period for the lead.

With 2:20 left in regulation, Brendon Jorgensen hit a 3-point shot for Emery to tie the score at 50-50. The Dinos turned the ball over on their next possession with 1:32 left. At the 1:01 mark, Cologie drove the lane and dished the ball to Corbin Barnett for an easy basket, if anything could be easy at this point in the game. Emery led 52-50. With 10 seconds left in the game, Young scored for Carbon to tie the score at 52-52 and when Emery missed a final desperation shot the game went to overtime.

In overtime, Carbon made a free throw followed by Cologie scoring for Emery and Emery led 54-53. Jorgensen hit a free throw followed by Jordan Blanc hitting a free throw for Carbon. At 1:18 Barnett received another pass from Cologie and he scored and Emery led 57-54. At 48.1 Cologie made one of two free throws, at 24.9 Carbon made one of two free throws, at 21 Cologie again made one of two free throws and Emery led 59-55. Carbon made a free throw with three seconds left and then scored a basket as Emery threw the inbounds pass away and Emery won 59-58.

The game was closely officiated as both teams saw numerous players foul out of the contest. The game was actually won (or lost) at the free throw line. Emery shot a not very good 19 for 32 but Carbon shot an even worse percentage as they only made 21 shots in 45 attempts.

Cologie led Emery with 30 points followed by Jorgensen with 12 points. Blanc led Carbon with 18 points and Young finished with 12 points. Also scoring for Emery were Jordon Cox and Corbin Barnett with four points each, Dillon Wilstead and Logan Tuttle with three points each, Dawson Jensen with two points and Curtis Mason with one point. Also scoring for Carbon were Nick Haycock and Tanner Gagnon with nine points each, Dillon Manzanares with five points, Dakota Cisneros with three points and Clay Finkbiner with two points.

In Emery's win over Union, Union led 19-8 after the first quarter but then the game was all Emery as the Spartans won period two 23-13, period three 17-10 and the final period 16-12. Cologie scored 18 points; Jensen added 15 points and Barnett scored 11 points. Wilstead added seven points; Jorgensen scored five points and Cox scored four points.

Against the heavily favored Rams in Monroe, Emery got down early and basically stayed there the whole game. Emery trailed by 11 points after the first quarter and by 20 points at the half and after three periods before losing by 21 points in the game.

Dawson Jensen led Emery with 18 points with Logan Tuttle scoring 10 points. Cologie, Cox and Jorgensen each scored seven points in the game. Curtis Mason scored five points with Wilstead scoring two points and Barnett scoring one point.

Emery is on the road twice this week as they travel to Richfield on Wednesday and then to Grand on Saturday.